Mòchéng wénjí 默成文集
Silent-Cultivation Prose Collection by 潘良貴 (撰)
About the work
Mòchéng wénjí 默成文集 in 8 juǎn is the literary collection of Pān Liángguì 潘良貴 (1094–1150), Zuǒ sījiàn under Gāozōng and one of the more vigorous early-Southern-Sòng dissenters. The title takes Pān’s hào Mòchéng jūshì 默成居士 (Silent-Cultivation Recluse). The original 15-juǎn edition recorded in the Sòng shǐ Yìwénzhì is lost; the present recension is a Kāng-xī-period (1662–1722) reprint by Pān’s descendant, recovering only 20 prose pieces, 27 poems, and 1 cí. The Sìkù editors complain that the juǎn-division is artificial — juǎn 1–2 are entirely běnzhuàn, niánpǔ, decrees, etc. (i.e. not Pān’s writings); only from juǎn 3 do Pān’s actual works appear. The editors also note the inappropriate inclusion of Pān Chí 潘畤’s biography (Pān Chí was a son of Liángguì’s brother Pān Liángzuǒ 潘良佐, hence Pān’s nephew rather than direct descendant).
Tiyao
Mòchéng wénjí in 8 juǎn, by Pān Liángguì of the Sòng. Liángguì, zì Yìróng (one zì Zǐjiàn), hào Mòchéng jūshì, of Wùzhōu Jīnhuá. Zhènghé 5 (1115) tíngshì second-place; appointed Bìyōng bóshì. Promoted Tíjǔ Huáinán dōnglù chángpíng. Jìngkāng 1 (1126) recalled; for-affairs appointed Jiān Xìnzhōu Ruìkǒu páiàn. Gāozōng acceded — appointed Zuǒ sījiàn; passed-through to Huīyóugé dàizhì, Tíjǔ Bózhōu Míngdàogōng. For corresponding with Lǐ Guāng demoted three ranks; died, posthumously Zuǒ zhāofèng dàfū. Career in Sòng shǐ biography.
Liángguì’s xuéshù chúnzhèng, kǎnzhí bùē (learning pure and correct; vigorous-and-upright, not-flattering); first argued that Hé Lì and others could-not-be prime-minister; further with Huáng Qiánshàn and Lǚ Yíhào at-odds; further face-to-face impeached Xiàng Zǐyīn; repeatedly píngchì (set-aside-in-banishment) but his cultivated-stance unmoved. Hence Zhū Zǐ also called him gāngyì jìn rén (resolute, approaching benevolence). His Lùn zhìtǐ jiāzǐ and other pieces are fěicè chéntòng (deeply-grieving and sorrowful), enough to move-people; further enough to glimpse his jiégài (integrity-and-character).
His collection seen in the shǐ is 15 juǎn, long-lost, not-transmitted. This version is in Kāngxī his descendant printed; only prose 20 pieces, poetry 27 pieces, cí 1 piece — all duōshí (gathered) from the lost-and-fallen, only roughly preserving the outline. Yet the collection’s chú (appointment) and xiè (thanks) various biǎo, when compared with the běnzhuàn and niánpǔ, also amply zī cāndìng (provide collation). For example, the niánpǔ records that Liángguì arrived at Yánzhōu post and requested cí (temple-supervisor); obtained Zhǔguǎn Bózhōu Míngdàogōng; transferred Bìshū shǎojiān; promoted Qǐjū láng; raised Zhōngshū shèrén. Today the collection has Címiǎn Bìshū shǎojiān shēnshěng zhuàng, can be cross-checked with the niánpǔ. While the běnzhuàn does not say zhuǎn Bìshū shǎojiān. Further: after Liángguì’s Zhī Yánzhōu, twice was Zhōngshū shèrén; the collection has Xiè Zhōngshū shèrén gàobiǎo; further has Xiè Zhōngshū shèrén biǎo — can be verified. While the běnzhuàn only says “qǐ wéi Zhōngshū shèrén” without recording front-and-back twice-commanded — all can supplement Sòng shǐ’s lacunae-and-errors.
Only — pages-and-leaves liáoliáo (sparse-and-few), forcibly divided-into juǎnzhì — unable-to-avoid intent of qiúduō (seeking-many). Further, juǎn 1 and juǎn 2 both record the běnzhuàn, niánpǔ, gàochì etc. prose; juǎn 3 onward reaches his composition. Although used the example of Sòng Mǐnqiú compiling the Lǐ Bái collection; yet xuānduó (clamour-overwhelming) too-greatly. Ultimately biāncì wúfǎ (compilation without method). As-for [Pān] Chí 畤 — was Liángzuǒ’s son, to Liángguì yóuzǐ (nephew); also-attached his zhuànzhì at-the-end of the collection. Even-more bùlún (out-of-place). Today provisionally still per old-version recording-it; and appended-noted its cóngcuò (jumble-and-confusion) thus. Respectfully collated, Qiánlóng 43 (1778), 2nd month.
Abstract
The Mòchéng wénjí is a small but high-quality survival of an important early-Southern-Sòng dissident voice. Pān Liángguì was a Tíngshì runner-up of 1115 — placing him at the very top of the Northern-Sòng / Southern-Sòng transition cohort — and his career as Zuǒ sījiàn and impeachment of Xiàng Zǐyīn 向子諲 made him a celebrated case of integrity. Zhū Xī’s encomium gāngyì jìn rén (drawn from Lúnyǔ 13.27) is the standard external evaluation.
The Kāngxī reprint by Pān’s descendant recovers 20 prose pieces, 27 poems, 1 cí. The Sìkù editors’ methodological criticism is sharp: the descendant compiler padded out 8 juǎn by including běnzhuàn, niánpǔ, decrees of appointment in the early juǎn; the first juǎn of Pān’s actual writings is juǎn 3. The editors note this is modeled on Sòng Mǐnqiú’s edition of Lǐ Bái but is here over-applied. They also note that Pān Chí — a nephew, not a descendant — was inappropriately given a biography at the end. Despite these complaints, the editors retained the recension because of the corrective value of the Címiǎn Bìshū shǎojiān shēnshěng zhuàng and the two Xiè Zhōngshū shèrén memorials, which supply corrections to Pān’s Sòng shǐ biography.
CBDB id 1388 confirms 1094–1150.
Translations and research
- Sòng shǐ j. 376 — Pān Liáng-guì biography.
- 朱熹 — preserves the gāng-yì jìn rén evaluation.
- No dedicated Western-language study located.
Other points of interest
- The Kāngxī reprint’s structure (genealogical material in early juǎn; primary works only from juǎn 3) is a useful instance of late-imperial family-printed biéjí methodology — and of Sìkù editorial reservations about it.